Push button construction



PL 1936'v I J. BIERENFELD 2,052,691

PUSH BUTTON CONSTRUCTION Filed July 16, 1934 III/I 8 41 18 J7 v INVENTORdo sef gl'ararlfa/y IFATTB%M&

Patented Sept..1, 1936 Pa s r or ies PUSH BUTTON CONSTRUCTION JosefBierenfeld, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Square D Company, Detroit,Mich.

Application July 16, 1934, Serial No.'735,385

5 Claims. (01. 200 159) This invention relates to push button mountingfor starters, and is directed to a push button construction adapted foruse in starter constructions such as shown in the Patent No. 2,013,013of September 3, 1935 of Hermon L. Van Valkenburg for Automatic starter.Q

- In starter construction it is desirable to keep the depth of thestarter'as small as possible, so thatthe total amount or distance thatthe starter projects outwardly from a wall upon which it is mounted, forinstance, may be-kept as small as possible. Further, it is desirabletobe able to freely open and close the cover without hindrance from thepush buttons and without disturbing the starter. I

This invention has for its objects the provision of a push buttonconstruction and mounting which is very compact and shallow or of smalldepth, which is carried wholly by the cover of the housing for'thestarter, which is unattached to the starter, though it controls andoperates the starter, and which, therefore, permits the opening of thecover outwardly without hindrance from the push buttons and withoutinterference with the starter. 7

Further objects are to provide a nov'el type of spring support for eachpush button which not only returns thepush button after depression,;butalso holdsthe push button in'its correct position and permits the'quickassembling of the device, the spring being easily applied to thepush'button during assembly-and constituting the sole retaining meansfor holding the push button in place. g

Further objects are to provide a construction which permits the closegrouping of a plurality of push buttons as, for instance, the start,stop and reset buttons of a motor starter, which is very cheap to makeand which has a minimum number of parts, thus materially reducing thecost of construction both as regards the number of parts and the numberof operations in assembling.

A further object is to provide a construction in which the springs holdthe buttons against rotation, so that if they carry insignia, as theyusually do, it will always be correctly presented.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:-

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a starter for electricmotors, with parts broken away and in section to show the push buttonconstruction, such view corresponding to a section on the line l-l ofFigure 2.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view from the under side of the housing covershown in Figure 1.

- Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 2. VFigure 4 is a face view of one of the buttons. Referring to the drawing,it will be seen that a starter for an electric motor has been shown andis indicated generally by the reference character L It may be providedwith operating parts such as the levers 2, by means of which it iscontrolled, and is mounted within a box or housing 3 provided with ahinged or otherwise mounted cover 4. The cover 4 is adapted to swing ormove outwardly from the body portion of the housing 3.

The start,- stop and reset buttons are indicated by the referencecharacters 5, 6, and 1. They may be formed of insulating material, suchas Bakelite, or other suitable material, and are preferably providedwith a cylindrical body portion and with a. limiting or stop flange 8,in each instance. Each button is also preferably provided with aninwardly projecting operating pin 9 for operating the appropriate partof the starter. l

, The metal cover 4 is provided with a plurality of cylindrical guidingsleeves which have reduced andshouldered lower portions passing throughapertures in the cover and locked rigidly in place by spinning over aportion as indicated at II.-

These, sleeves, slidably receive and guide the cylindrical po'rtionsofthe push buttons.

,Thepush buttons are assembled by slipping them into thejsleeves fromthe inner. side of thefcover; the'iianges contacting with the innerportion of the cover or the inner portion of the sleeves, as shown inFigure 1, and thus limiting the outward motion of the buttons.

The springs are each substantially U-shaped with parallel, closelyspaced arms I2, divergent or flaring portions l3, and coaxial, opposedinturned arms or pins I4. These ends I 4 are received within adiametrically located hole l5 passing through the flanges.

The looped or rounded part 16 of each spring is clamped between theunder side of the cover 4 and a slightly dished clip or fastening memberll. These members or clips ll are each drawn into binding engagementwith the looped end of the spring by means of a rivet l8 which passesthrough the clip I! and the cover, and through the looped portion of thespring.

The slight dishing of the clips, as may be seen from Figures 1 and 3,provides flanges on three sides, the rivet additionally holding thespring buttons. They may be slightly sprung apart at their free ends andslipped into place in the holes I5 through the flanges of the pushbuttons.

It is apparent from Figure 2 that due to the shape of the springs, thepush buttons may be arranged as compactly as desired. Further, fromreference to Figure 1, it is clear that the construction is very shallowand adds very little depth or thickness to the starter.

These buttons usually bear insignia such as" Start, Stop, Reset, etc.,the face of the- Stop button being shown for illustration in Figure 4. Afurther additional advantage is that the springs prevent rotation of thebuttons and always hold the buttons so that their insignia is correctlypresented. I

It will be seen that a push button construction has been provided forelectric starters which is veryf' shallow and does not add anappreciable depth to the starter box or housing, and that'the springmeans serves the double function of holding the push buttons inassembled position and'of returning 'a push button after it has beendepressed.

Although this'invention has been described in considerable detail it isto be understood that 'such description is intended as illustrativerather,

than" limiting, as'the invention may be variously embodied and is to beinterpreted as claimed.

I Claimt,

lj In a starter, a housing, switch means withsaid'spring meansconstituting the sole means for preventing axial rotation of said pushbutton, said switch means beinggan independent unit separate anddistinct from said spring means or said push button.

2. In a switch construction, a housing, switch:

means located within said housing; a removable cover'for said housing, apushbutton carried by saidcover and slidable therethrough for operatingsaid switch means, and spring, means: con-' shaped member, said fingersbeing pivotally 35 stituting the sole retaining means for said pushbutton, said spring means being attached to said cover, and said springmeans consisting of a substantially U-shaped resilient member attachedat one end to the cover and having inwardly turned fingers attached tothe push button and constituting the sole means for preventing axialrotation of said button. 7

3. A push button. mounting comprising ahousing, a cylindrical guidemember carried by said housing, a cylindrical push button slidablymounted within said guide member and having opposed openings extendinglaterally with respect tothe axis of the push button, and spring meansfor returning the push button to its normal posi-. tion afterdepression, said spring means'consisting of a substantially U-shapedmember having the yoke portion of the U attached to the cover and havingthe free ends inturned and fitted within the said openings, whereby thepush button is preventedfrom axial rotation and is held in place solelyby said spring means.

4. A push button mounting forswitches, comprising a housing having acover'; a cylindrical guiding member carried by said cover, acylindrical pushbutton slidably mounted within said guiding member andhaving an inner flange. to limit the outward'motion of said push button,and spring mean's'for said push button, said spring means consisting'ofa u shaped member hav-- ing the U portion of said member attached to thesaid cover andhaving inwardly turned fingers at the outer ends of'thearms of theU- mounted within the flange o'f the push button.

5. A push button mounting for switches, com-' prising a housinghaving acover,.a guide member carried by said cover, a push button slidablymounted within said guide memberand having an inner flange to limit theoutward motion of the push button, said flange having, diametricallyopposed openings therein, sprin'gmeans for said of said spring means,andfastening means extending through said cap and'cover and locking saidcap and the U portion of said spring means to said cover, the outerendsof said spring means having inturned fingers fitted within the said;openings. 1

JOSEF BIERENFELD.

